Mirroring a trend among the general public, an increasing number of people with disabilities regularly use wireless technologies, including cell phones - and find them easier to use.
But a number of people with disabilities cite a need for improved functionality of wireless devices, such as a feature to enable service dogs to call for help in an emergency, according to the initial results of a survey funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
Wireless device ownership increased 13 percent – from 72 to 85 percent – among people with disabilities from the first generation of the survey of user needs – conducted from 2001 to 2006 – and the current survey, which began in April 2007. Also, more than three-fourths of respondents last year reported that their wireless devices are easy or very easy to use, compared to only half of those who responded to the earlier survey. Still, 73 percent said they likely would change wireless service providers, if necessary, to get additional features that enhance accessibility.
“The data these consumers share through our research helps our wireless industry partners meet customers' needs and also helps identify applications useful to people without disabilities,” said survey project director Jim Mueller of the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC), a collaboration between Atlanta-based Shepherd Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology. “We are not encouraging the wireless companies to make special products. We want products that will work for everyone.”
The RERC, which received its second, multi-year grant from NIDRR in 2006, promotes equitable access to wireless technologies and encourages adoption of universal design –design that benefits users of all ages and abilities – in future generations of wireless devices and applications.
The 1,208 people who completed the RERC survey in 2007 are representative of a large portion of the estimated 40 million Americans with disabilities, researchers noted. They compared the demographics of survey respondents to the U.S. Census and noted that 77 percent of respondents are 25-61 years of age; 5 percent are younger; 18 percent are older.
Researchers are comparing and contrasting the initial results from the current survey to the RERC's previous user-needs survey of 1,200 people. Also, they are tracking trends among 165 people who have participated in both studies. In addition, researchers are comparing their results to findings reported by other wireless industry groups in 2007.